2015 Final Four Trip

Its 2015, the Wisconsin Badgers are making a run towards the National Championship, and four middle aged guys, Tim, Rich, Milty and myself are on our way to Indianapolis. A bunch of Golf buddies and basketball buddies trying out best to re-live our youth watching a sport we love. Full disclosure, I am the short guy in the group at 6 foot with flip flops on, I’m the short guy who didn’t play on there city team and is an expert at dribbling on my feet. The other guys, from what I hear they were pretty good for a stretch, played in the kohl center where the Badgers play for a state championship.

Indianapolis is about a 5 hour trip from Madison, you can either go south down I-39 through Rockford, bloomington, cross over to Indianapolis, or go through Chicago. If you like sitting in traffic, Chicago is a fantastic option to give you everything you dreamed of. But if you like low drama, not stops, go through Illinois.

We left in the morning, got to Indianapolis that afternoon. We made a stop at the Indiana cell repair shop and they where great. Stopped by they said the glass to my friends phone was in stock and would have it done in an hour or so. How cool, like we were picking up dry cleaning, I was blown away. So we decided to stop by the Thr3e Wise Men brew house for some home made Amber, pizza and wings.

The Thr3e Wise Men brew house was a hit and our new friend Courtney was as awesome as the brew and food. Had incredible pizza and wings and plenty of beer. And the best part is it was local brew which is my favorite thing. Anywhere I go I always like to try the local brew tasting the flavors of the area. Here is Courtney below with some happy customers.

Off to the Pre Game. Wisconsin versus Kentucky. Kentucky was(spoiler alert) unbeaten at 29 games, and most thing Wisconsin, although real neat they got that far, fantastic run, enjoy it while it lasted. But as we know know the future had something else in store. The Pre Game was really cool. ESPN had an outdoor set, and you could get pretty close. I gotta think it has to be pretty weird for the staff of ESPN, they have to feel like fish in a fish bowl at work. Must get old. I got a little air time on ESPN and did the whole W sign thing and all. Being a cheese head, a cheesy thing like the W sign is appropriate I think.

We finally got to the arena that evening, Wisconsin/Kentucky played after Duke and Michigan State. The Spartans didnt show like I thought, i was really hoping for a Big Ten championship, not sure if that has ever happened. But it was nice to have 2 Big Ten teams in the final 4. We started the Michigan state game in the 600 nose bleed section, but with a good design, risk management planning and excellent execution we were in the 100s section about 40 rows from the court for $50 a ticket. (Thanks Tim for a keen observation of enterpernial staff) The downside, right in the middle of the university of Kentucky section(Which turned out great later in the game). The UK fans were passionate I give them that. Most were cordial but a few really lade into us, saying things like “Thanks for showing up, too bad your are done” at the beginning of the game. I hate to say it, but those where the fans I said “nice game” 4 minutes before the end, as they new they would loose at that point, and remembered laying into us at the beginning counting the badgers all but out. But it was fun.

One interesting note is there was a UK family I front of my friends and I who just watched us and studied how the UW and UK fans reacted. Like he was trying to figure out what he should do and also who he wants to be. Sad to say he did unfortunately see some UK anger that was pro a Ly not healthy for a 8 year old. But his parents seemed solid so hopefully they had the talk.

Well and of course as you know by now the reason for their anger, the 38-1 record.

Did some golf at the fort golf course. Now,remember, it was the first time out for a few of us. We played reasonably well, considering that the course was saturated. Cart path only, which means you will hit the ball as far from the path as humanly possible! Unless you are uncle Milty, who striped most of the fairways, on his way to a smooth 77! The rest of us did an admirable job of seeing as MUCH of the course as we could.

Then stopped at twin peaks and had a great meal. Highly recommended manertainment hang out. Great staff, dressed like bunny’s (it was wa Easter) and when I say bunny’s I mean a tail and ears and not much else. And food was just as good

And kudos to our wonderful waitress Elisabeth

after some great food at twin peaks it was time for downtown indi. And super cudos to jw Marriott not because they use my initials jw but because of what they did to the side of there building.

Once downtown we used some karma up in exchange for free parking at the lids party. And started